855773644-LEED-v5-BD-C-Reference-Guide-Launch-Edition - Page 416

Extracted Content

Teams are awarded points by salvaging 20% or more of the existing building structural elements, including enclosure elements. Key existing structural elements include floor and roof decking, load-bearing walls, columns, and beams that provide the primary support framework for the building. Enclosure elements include the building’s exterior skin and structural framing that form the thermal and weather barrier of the building. Enclosure materials in this credit includes facades, cladding, and exterior walls, while excluding nonstructural components like roofing membranes, shingles, window assemblies, and other elements that are not essential to the building’s integrity or enclosure.

Teams must exclude hazardous and unsound materials (e.g., remediated as part of the project for historic, abandoned, or unsafe buildings) from the calculation because these materials cannot be safely reused or incorporated into the project. Nonhazardous materials are encouraged to be diverted from landfill or incineration and can contribute to MRc5: Construction and Demolition Waste Diversion .

For projects with new building components or additions, base the calculations on the existing floor area, not including additional floor area. Per the equation below, the reuse calculation is based on the surface areas of major existing structural and enclosure elements. Teams should prepare a calculation table or spreadsheet listing all enclosure and structural elements within the existing building prior to construction or renovation. Teams should quantify each item, listing the square footage of both the existing area and the retained area. Determine the percentage of existing elements that are retained by dividing the square footage of the total retained materials area by the square footage of the total existing materials area. The reused area in the calculation should include any salvaged or reused materials sourced off-site and integrated into the project.

Equation 2. Percentage of existing building reuse

Existing building reuse = [Area reused onsite + Area reused from offsite]

Existing building area

× 100

Option 2. Materials Reuse

Option 2 addresses the onsite reuse of nonstructural materials. This option also encourages the scanning of availability for the procurement of offsite reused materials that are incorporated into the building.

U.S. Green Building Council LEED v5 Reference Guide for Building Design and Construction, April 2025 Launch Edition 406